by Sara Orwig
“That’s right. Here’s why. A couple of years ago I was at a party and had an evening with a beautiful woman, Madeline Prentiss, who had a rising career in the music world. Talia Barton was her teacher and her friend. Fourteen months ago, this woman, Madeline Prentiss, gave birth to my daughter.”
“Oh, my heavens, Nick. I’m a great-grandmother to a little girl?”
“Yes. Madeline didn’t have family and Talia helped her care for the baby while Madeline pursued a singing career.”
“Why didn’t the mother tell you about the baby? Do you think it is actually yours?”
“She is definitely mine. I had a DNA test done. Talia Barton told me that Madeline thought I was still so in love with Regina and so torn over losing her and Artie that I wouldn’t want to hear about the baby. Several months ago Madeline died in a car wreck. Talia has taken care of little Hattie and she’s like a mother to Hattie. Now the state wants to take Hattie because Talia has no legal papers to show that Madeline wanted her to have Hattie.”
“This baby is a Duncan. Your baby. You can’t let the state take your baby. This woman came to tell you so the state won’t get your baby?”
“That’s correct. She wants me to be a dad to my daughter even though it means she will have to give up Hattie, a little girl she loves like her own. Talia will have to give up Hattie to the state or to me. She preferred me to take her. With Madeline gone, Talia is mama to Hattie.” He took a deep breath and waited.
“You have a little girl,” Myra said. “I am a great-grandmother to a little girl. How old is she?”
“Fourteen months,” he repeated patiently, giving her time to absorb the first part of his news.
“Have you seen her?”
“Yes. She looks like the Duncans.”
“Oh, my. You really think so? So you’re going to raise a little girl. My goodness. I’m in shock, Nick.”
“Grandmother, there’s more. Talia Barton has been a mother to Hattie in every way except by blood and by law. She loves my daughter and takes good care of her.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve proposed to Talia. She knows I’m not in love with her, but it is a way she can keep Hattie and Hattie will have the mama she loves.”
“Nick, have you lost your senses? You can’t marry a stranger because she knows how to take care of a baby. Mercy sakes. Don’t tie your life up with some woman you don’t know.”
“I’ve already proposed. Hattie will have a mother who loves her.”
“Nick, what is the matter with you?” she said, her voice getting louder. “You don’t know this woman at all.”
“I know Talia a little. She’s an art teacher in a two-year college. That means the school system has checked her out to a certain extent. More important, I know she adores my daughter. She contacted me instead of letting the state just take Hattie away. If it weren’t for Talia, I wouldn’t even know I have a daughter.”
“You know nothing about this woman except what you just told me and she knows nothing about you.”
“She does know something about me. She had me checked out by a PI.”
“She checked you out?” his grandmother shrieked. Nick merely nodded.
“Nick, our family is known by all Texans. We’ve been here since the battle at the Alamo.”
He tried to hang on to his patience because he had expected her to react exactly the way she was. “Grandmother, not all Texans know who we are. Talia wanted to make sure I would be safe to leave Hattie with because if I didn’t check out, she would have let the state take her.”
“Oh, my word,” she said, frowning and rubbing her hands together. “Don’t be so foolish. Marrying a total stranger—that’s asking for all sorts of trouble.”
“I’ve invited Talia for dinner. I want you and my brothers to meet her and then you can tell me what you think. You’ll meet Hattie, too.
“Talia is very nice. She’s intelligent and she’ll make a good mother. And now you have a little girl in the family,” he said.
“A little child will adjust to someone else who is kind to her. Someone like you. We all will be good to her. She’ll have a family and you do not need to marry a woman you just met. Don’t get your life all tangled up. You know you won’t be happy with her after Regina and little Arthur. Don’t marry this Talia person.”
“I think you’ll like Talia.”
“I can’t imagine why you think that. And you don’t know anything about little girls.”
Nick ignored his grandmother’s statement. He knew this would be difficult, so he simply forged ahead with his plan. “I’d like to have a family dinner Friday night. How’s that? I’ll send the limo to get you. We’ll have dinner here on the ranch.”
“Nick, oh, I’m so glad you have a little girl. What a joy she’s going to be,” she said, talking more to herself than to him. “We can take care of her. But you don’t need to marry this woman. I do wish you hadn’t committed yourself. Get out of it.”
“Hold your opinion until after you meet her. See if you like her. I’ve got to run now. I’m going back to Dallas and I’ll have Talia and Hattie for dinner tonight.”
“You’re not listening to me. Please don’t do this in haste and regret it for years.”
He brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Grandmother, and I know you want what’s best for me. I know you’ll love Hattie and I think you’ll like Talia.”
His grandmother shook her head. “Nick, I’ll worry every day about you if you marry this woman.”
He laughed. “Worrywart Grandmother is what you are. I know it’s because you love me. You’ll meet them Friday.”
With that, he blew her a kiss and left her. His thoughts jumped ahead to tonight and seeing Talia again. In a lot of ways he was glad Talia had accepted his proposal for a marriage of convenience. She loved Hattie too much to miss this chance to become her legal mother forever. He also had mixed feelings and a streak of guilt because he still loved Regina and missed her and he missed little Artie. He knew he would probably grow to love Hattie, too, but right now there were so many hurtful memories. Longing swamped him for his wife and baby and he knew no one would ever take their place.
He stopped by the kitchen, and before he could say anything, Braden held out a covered container. “Here’s your pot roast.”
Nick smiled. “Thanks, Braden. This is a super treat. The smell is killing me. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this. You’re the best.”
“Well, Miss Myra steps in here to stir every few hours.”
Nick laughed. “I’ll bet she does. And I bet she does a lot of taste testing.”
Braden smiled. “Yes, she does.”
“Thanks again,” Nick said and left, forgetting the pot roast when he reached the car and thinking about his grandmother’s warnings.
He was Hattie’s father, so he would claim her and raise her, and it seemed the best solution to him to get Talia’s help and keep her with Hattie.
He loved his grandmother, but this time she was worrying for nothing.
* * *
Late that afternoon as he worked in his Dallas office, Nick heard his phone buzz with a text. He looked at it and saw Talia had to cancel their dinner appointment because she needed to meet with two parents over a problem their son had at school. She hadn’t found a sitter yet and it seemed best to cancel dinner.
He sent her a text to come eat pot roast before meeting with the parents and leave Hattie with him. Talia replied that it would be easier to grab a bite before she went and let him feed Hattie. She would bring everything for Hattie.
Nick remembered kissing her—something he thought about at least once every sixty minutes all his waking hours. He could get aroused just remembering holding and kissing her. Her kisses consumed him and made him want to carry her off to bed and forget the world. This marriage was going to be more than he had expected. He’d propose
d knowing he wanted a loving mother for Hattie. Now he knew he was getting a woman whose kisses promised the hottest sex he had ever experienced. He wanted this marriage soon. He wanted her in his bed as a way to erase the hurt and loneliness he had lived with for too long now.
He’d looked forward to spending the evening with Talia. But now he would be taking care of Hattie all by himself. Nick rubbed his neck. He should be able to feed Hattie, but he didn’t have a high chair for her yet.
Leaving his Dallas office, Nick went home, called his attorney and set up the trusts for Talia and for Hattie. When it was time for their arrival, he went outside to wait for them. As he paced, he was assailed by memories of times he’d spent waiting for Regina and Artie to come home from shopping or a doctor appointment. Would he ever stop longing for his beloved wife and son?
Even more worrisome, was he rushing headlong into a marriage that would be a giant mistake as his grandmother predicted?
* * *
Talia parked and got Hattie out of the car seat. Nick came bounding to the car, his long legs covering the distance quickly. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw him. In jeans, boots and a black short-sleeved knit shirt, he looked purposeful, seemingly filled with energy, sexy and appealing, and she wished she could spend the evening with him.
When Nick took Hattie from Talia, their hands brushed, and she had the same intense awareness of touching him as before, bringing back instant memories of his kiss. She looked up at him, and when their gazes met, it was as if they’d made a sexual contact.
He turned to look at Hattie and smiled. “Hi, Hattie.”
“Ho,” she said, smiling at him.
“That’s her ‘hello.’” Talia stood by him and patted his arm, feeling the solid muscle.
“I’m sorry, but this afternoon was hectic and I was late getting her and getting home. I would have fed her, but I was afraid that would make me late for my appointment.”
“That’s fine. Feeding her shouldn’t be difficult.”
“I brought a chair for her. It’s in the trunk of the car. If you’ll get it, I’ll take Hattie.”
“Sure, I’ll get it. Don’t worry about us because we’ll get along just fine,” he said.
“You can heat the chopped carrots for her and give her some milk. I brought her little sippy cup and lid. She loves strawberries and I’ve cut up some small bites. It’s all in this bag plus some of her toys. I’m sorry, but I need to run. Phone me if you have a question.”
He caught her arm and held it. “Talia, I’ll take good care of her. Don’t worry about her.” They looked at each other intently and she got lost in his gaze, acutely aware that his hand still lightly held her arm. Her attention shifted to his mouth and then she remembered what he had said.
“I’m sure you’ll be great with her,” she stated, her voice sounding slightly hoarse. How could he cause such an intense reaction just by casually touching her or looking at her? She didn’t think he was paying any more attention to their conversation than she was. All she could think about was kissing him. Was she going to fall in love with him if she was around him often? If they married and had sex, would she be able to avoid a broken heart? The question was becoming more important because her reactions to him were intensifying.
“I’ve got to run,” she said, looking at him and still mesmerized by the way he gazed at her. She knew his thoughts were on their kiss, too, especially when his eyes lowered to her mouth.
With an effort she turned away and slipped behind the steering wheel. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Call if you have a question or have difficulty.”
“Sure. Don’t worry. We won’t have difficulty,” he said, smiling at Hattie as she ran her fingers over his jaw. “She likes my whiskers.”
“She’s fascinated by you. You’re the first man in her life and this is discovery for her. You’ll be a good dad, Nick.”
He smiled at Hattie. “I’m glad you have confidence in me. I hope it’s contagious. I usually feel on top of challenges, but this one throws me. I don’t know anything about baby girls. Do you care, Hattie?” he asked and she giggled while she still ran her fingers over his chin.
“I’m glad my face entertains her,” he said.
“I’m going to be late,” Talia said, more to herself than to Nick. “You might want to distract her so she doesn’t see me leave. She’s getting so she doesn’t want me to leave her. I brought some toys in the bag, and if you’ll take her inside and get them out, she’ll forget about me.”
She watched as Nick turned toward the house, talking to Hattie as he went. Then she drove away.
She tried to concentrate on the road, but it was impossible to avoid thinking about Nick. Since her disastrous marriage, she hadn’t wanted to fall in love again with any man. And now she certainly didn’t want to fall in love with Nick. It was obvious his heart was locked away. Sure, they had some hot chemistry between them, but that wasn’t the bedrock of a solid marriage. Love was. And Nick was still in love with his late wife.
How many times would she have to remind herself of that?
As she turned at the green light, she forced her thoughts down a different path. Instead of worrying about guarding her heart against Nick, she reveled in the fact that Hattie would legally be her baby. She couldn’t weigh the pros and cons of this convenient marriage. There was just one giant consideration—Hattie. Along with being her mother came the fun of going to bed with Nick.
Talia hoped this appointment didn’t take too long because she wanted to get back to Nick and Hattie. Despite his reassuring words, he seemed nervous with the prospect of taking care of his daughter alone. Smiling, Talia shook her head. What was she thinking? Nick had been a dad. He was intelligent, capable, dealt with all sorts of situations and animals on that ranch. He would be fine with Hattie and Hattie would probably like being with Nick. How could he not cope with a little fourteen-month-old toddler?
* * *
“Darlin’, here’s a little bag all packed just for you. Let’s see what’s in it,” Nick said, sitting on the floor in front of Hattie. He opened the bag and reached in to pull out a small white teddy bear. “Look, Hattie, here’s your bear.”
“Mine. Bear,” she repeated, snatching it out of his hand and hugging it.
She tossed it aside and reached into the bag to pull out a small soft ball, which she threw across the room then turned to get the next toy. Nick held the bag and watched her, marveling that this was his child. He was still in shock from discovering this little girl who was going to become a major part of his life. Hattie pulled out another brightly colored box with a handle. When she turned the handle, it played a tune and she worked at turning the crank, her tiny fingers clinging to the small handle. “I should have known about you, little darlin’, from the time you were born. I’m glad you’re in my life now. I have a lot to learn about you.”
She pulled out another toy and tossed it aside, reaching in to get another. Toys flew in various directions and he let her do what she wanted. She reached deep into the bag, pulled out a book and handed it to him.
“You want me to read Peter Rabbit to you? Come here, sweetie, and we’ll read the book.” Standing, he picked up her and her book and went to the rocker to sit and hold her, remembering holding Artie, who’d been so tiny compared to Hattie.
“Here’s another bunny,” he said, pointing to the rabbit on the cover.
“Bun,” she said, sitting up and looking around. She got off his lap and held his knee as she reached for a chair. “Bun,” she said again, more insistently as she clung to the chair and took a wobbly step, grabbing a table. She stretched out her arm and opened and closed her hand, and he spotted the pink bunny on the floor. He crossed the room to retrieve it, handing it to her.
“Here’s your bunny. What you want, I think,” he said, picking her up again as she hugged the bunny. Then she pointed to the chair.<
br />
“You seem to know what you want. We’ll read about this bunny.” He rocked her as he read. He hoped he could be a good dad. If he could rely on Talia, he thought they would get along fine.
After he read the book, he thought about Talia, who was bringing him back into the world. Her hot kisses ignited lust and thoughts of seduction. She was going to complicate his life more than it already had been. The minute they made love, emotions would come to life as well as physical desire, and right now he was struggling to get over mourning his losses and coping with the knowledge that he was the daddy of a little girl. A little girl who was pointing her finger at the book he held.
“Bun,” she repeated.
He figured she wanted him to read the book again. “I’m guessing Talia reads to you a lot. Okay,” he said, opening the cover. “Let’s see about Peter Rabbit again.”
* * *
It was almost 9:00 p.m. when Nick stood, carrying Hattie in his arms as he went to the door and opened it to greet Talia.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. She looked down at Hattie, curled against him as she slept. “How did she get along?” Talia asked.
“Don’t ask about her. Ask if I survived. She was fine as long as I didn’t get out of her sight and gave her one hundred percent of my attention. She’s got the energy of the whole front line of a pro football team. For a little person who can barely toddle around, she’s busy, and this house isn’t set up for a baby. We may be babyproof in the family room now because she’s thrown everything she could get her hands on if I didn’t move it first. She’s been asleep about five minutes—” He paused and his eyes narrowed. “You’re laughing at me.”
“I’m smiling because I’m glad you two have had a fun evening. I think you’ll be a success as a dad,” she said. “You’ll get the kinks worked out and get the hang of having her in your house and in your life. It just takes a little time.”
“I know you’re laughing at me. I just couldn’t keep up with her and there must be some trick to getting food down her instead of all over both of us. She wasn’t thrilled with the carrots.”